This application relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of plum tree, Prunus salicina cv. ‘Suplumfiftyseven’. The new variety was first originated by hybridization and identified in July 2014 by Terry A. Bacon as breeder number ‘PL1680RB’.
The seed parent is ‘Suplumfortyseven’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,503), and the pollen parent is from bulk pollen of several late-ripening plum cultivars having black skin and red flesh. The parent varieties were first crossed in February 2011, with the date of first sowing being February 2012, and the date of first flowering being February 2014. The new plum variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ was first asexually propagated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. in February 2015 by dormant grafting.
The new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ is characterized by having fruit that is large, with black skin and dark red flesh and that ripens early in the season. The fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ also has firm flesh, a mildly sweet flavor and a stone that is adherent to the flesh.
The new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ resembles its seed parent ‘Suplumfortyseven’ in that both have fruit with black skin and red flesh. However, the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ begins ripening about 30 days earlier than the fruit of ‘Suplumfortyseven’. Further, the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ has a smaller size of about 140 gm compared to about 160 gm for ‘Suplumfortyseven’. The flowering time of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ starts about 22 days earlier than that of ‘Suplumfortyseven’.
The new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ has black skin and red flesh like ‘Black Splendor’ (unpatented), but the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ begins ripening about 7 days later than the fruit of ‘Black Splendor’. Further, the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ has a larger size than the fruit of ‘Black splendor’, at about 140 gm compared to 130 gm for ‘Black Splendor’. The new variety has a brix of 16% compared to 14% for ‘Black Splendor’, and the brix:acid ratio is 31 for the new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ compared to 16 for ‘Black Splendor’. The new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ also has black skin like ‘Black Amber’ (unpatented) and ‘Owen-T’ (unpatented), but the flesh color of the new variety is dark red compared to amber for ‘Black Amber’ and yellow for ‘Owen-T’.
The new variety ‘Suplumfiftyseven’ has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, cuttings and grafting.